A new sculpture has been installed at the Potato Shed in Drysdale to celebrate people who have a lived experience with disability and raise awareness of their experiences.
The two-metre tall I AM sculpture is inspired by political and pop culture statements such as the 1968 Memphis black sanitation workers’ slogan ‘I AM a man’, and Helen Reddy’s 1971 anthem ‘I AM woman’.
The relocatable statue now sits across from the newly opened North Bellarine Aquatic Centre just in time for summer after being craned in from Pakington Street, where it’s been located since February.
Its current location is especially important as it was at the nearby SpringDale Neighbourhood Centre that the idea for an artwork recognising people living with a disability was dreamed up by the Geelong and Bellarine Peer Action Group from VALiD (Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability).
The City pf Greater Geelong commissioned Mark Cuthbertson with artist-collaborators Robert Croft, Hannah Wilkinson, Christian Den Besten and George Macaronis to develop the large-scale work, receiving more than 85 contributions from the community.
I AM was delivered in partnership with VALiD and Geelong-based ArtGusto, and funded by the Victorian government through the Community Support Fund.
“It is incredible to have the I AM sculpture accessible to the Drysdale and wider Bellarine community; near the SpringDale Neighbourhood Centre where the idea for the artwork was created,” Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant said.
“This sculpture represents the important message of celebrating and supporting people with lived experience of disability as well as raising awareness of their experiences and contributions to our community.”
